


we'll let it storm and rain

by darknesshadows (FeatheredShadow)



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Parabatai Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-27
Updated: 2016-11-27
Packaged: 2018-09-02 15:22:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8672518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeatheredShadow/pseuds/darknesshadows
Summary: Being brought back to the Institute didn’t mark the end of Jace’s problems – far from it, actually. Post season 1, show compliant only.





	

_And we’ll never back down_  
_We’ll let it storm and rain_  
_We’ll be the hurricane  
_ _We’ll be the hurricane_

[Delain – The Hurricane](http://www.deezer.com/track/128454315)

 

* * *

 

They had managed to _catch_ Jace, in the end, and no one had seen it coming.

The Mortal Cup had disappeared from the Institute two months ago and the war had been hard and intense, all Shadowhunters on high alert, but the hunt for traitors wasn’t the priority at the moment, and yet he had been caught. The Clave hadn’t _planned_ on it, although they had issued a bounty on his head, considering him to be a traitor and to have willingly went with Valentine Morgenstern, but he was still to be caught alive – too precious a source of information to be killed in battle. His arrest had caused some ruckus at the Institute, Shadowhunters divided on what to do with him, but the Clave’s envoy had had the final word – and decided to play it so that a message would be sent to Downworlders. After all, vampires were to be thanked for his capture, although no one had bothered to say it out loud, and the new head of the New York Institute wanted to make sure everyone knew what happened to those who sided with Valentine – and to those who sided against him.

Nevertheless, if the vampires hadn’t complained to other Downworlders about how rogue Shadowhunters had been trespassing on their territory, and if the piece of information hadn’t made its way back to the Clave, a team of experimented Shadowhunters wouldn’t have gone checking the perimeter – and they wouldn’t have ended up on Valentine’s men, killing them without much trouble. Only Jace had been left standing, and the fact that he hadn’t tried to protect Valentine’s men had played in his favor – in the eyes of the Shadowhunters who had caught him, anyway. The Clave only considered him a disloyal traitor, not be trusted by _anyone_ , after that.

Being thrown in one of the Institute’s cells in secret hadn’t bided well for Jace, but he had been too out of his mind with pain to realize it at the moment. Not being able to keep his stele, his boots or even his belt had been a nasty surprise, but he knew the Clave would want to interrogate him, and that before he could escape, using whatever means possible. Not that he would actually _try_ , but they didn’t seem to know it. Which was somewhat strange, but the Clave knew where his loyalties lay, right? It wasn’t the kind of situation where he would be treated like a Downworlder suspected of breaking the Accords and tortured for information…

_Right?_

 

ooOoo

 

The stairs seemed to be endless, but Alec knew it was only because he was too impatient to get to the bottom and walk through the damn corridor. The cells of the Institute were difficult to access – difficult to _escape_ from – a real labyrinth and he was glad to have memorized a map of the lower floors in his teenage years, when he had been learning everything about the Institute that he could get his hands on.

Four Shadowhunters were escorting him – _for his protection_ , the Clave had said, and he had had to stop himself from snorting to their faces, knowing full well it was to make sure he wouldn’t try to help Jace escape. The Clave still didn’t trust him either, thanks to his little _move_ at his wedding, and even Lydia standing up next to him since Jace’s disappearance had done nothing to alleviate the feelings of distrust the Clave harbored for him. And the rest of his family was still under suspicion, of course, even though his mother had tried her best to show her support to the Clave… to no avail.

“Ten minutes only,” one of the Shadowhunters reminded him while they were walking through the corridor, the heavy doors of the cells ominous around them. “And we keep your stele while you’re there,” he added, though slightly uncomfortable this time.

Alec wasn’t going to make it easier for any of them, but he nodded and gave his stele in silence, wondering what the Shadowhunters thought of the situation. One of them had been at the Institute for as long as Alec could remember, and obviously hadn’t wanted to be there at all. The others had come from various Institutes, sent in by the Inquisitor, but none of them had met his eyes since they had been told they were to bring him to his _parabatai_ ’s cell. The leader of the group used his own stele to unlock the door, swiftly moving through a great amount of runes, before stepping aside, gesturing him to move.

Alec pushed the door and it opened with a sinister creak, leaving him to walk through it in silence, unsure of what to expect.

The look of the cell was a surprise. Alec had expected it to be dark, given how far under the earth they were, but a bright, metallic light, almost too harsh on the eyes, lit up the small room. A low buzz was the only sound breaking the silence, although it was difficult to guess where it came from.

Jace was huddled on himself against a wall, as far from the door as possible. Alec quickly walked to him, feeling his heart beat faster as he was coming closer to his _parabatai_. Not having news for two months had been torture, and being forbidden from seeing Jace since he had been caught had been almost as equally stressful.

Alec crouched next to his _parabatai_ , and started frowning when he realized Jace hadn’t moved in the slightest. Shivers were running through his thin frame – too skinny, he realized with a twinge of sorrow – but except for that, there were no sign he had realized someone was in the cell with him.

“Hey,” he whispered in a low voice, considering whether or not he should _touch_ his _parabatai_. “Jace.”

Silence.

“It’s me. Alec.”

Worry suddenly dashed down on him and he bit his lip, not knowing what to do. The low buzz was starting to grate on his nerves and seeing Jace in that state – cold, shivering, huddled on himself – was doing nothing to abide his fears. He hesitated for a moment, knowing his time was limited, and finally decided to move a little, his hand hovering over Jace’s shoulder.

Who stirred, in the way a wounded animal would stir, high on alert and still too exhausted to be careful of his every moves.

“Alec?”

The voice was small, frail, and Alec felt his heart break. Jace had never sounded so small, not even in the first weeks of his new life in the Lightwood’s house, so long ago.

“I’m here,” Alec said in a low voice, trying to sound more encouraging than he currently felt, before reaching out to Jace, trying to convince him to move a little.

Jace hesitated for a moment before turning towards him, his face coming to light, and Alec felt his heart stop. He hadn’t counted on Jace harboring a fresh black eye after a week spent in that cell, nor a broken nose or a visibly bruised cheekbone. His lips were more chaffed than Alec had ever seen them, and he blamed himself for not having brought a bottle of water with him. His clothes were dirty – not so surprising, given that he had been caught in the middle of a freaking forest – but Alec was sure he could see dried blood, and started wondering if someone had actually applied an _iratze_ on Jace since his arrival. They wouldn’t have let him hurt and wounded in his cell for a week… right?

“Come here,” Alec whispered, opening his arms, and his heartbeat _finally_ started calming down when Jace curled against him, his arms cautiously going around his waist, hesitant to hold on tight at first.

It wasn’t the most comfortable position he had ever been in, sitting down on the cold ground of the cell, with the harsh light almost hurting his eyes, and the low buzz still insistently going on, but at least he was reunited with his _parabatai_. For a few minutes at least. And he was sure he could already feel their bond slowly mending itself…

“What are you doing here?” Jace mumbled, his head hidden in Alec’s neck, who was absently petting his hair – longer and more unkempt than he had ever seen, but he wasn’t really surprised by this development.

“The Clave’s envoy allowed me to spend a few minutes with you,” Alec answered in a low voice, still holding on tightly. “Situation still isn’t good at the Institute for our family but at least –”

He stopped for a moment, wondering what to say. Jace must have been aware, at least on some level, that there had been a change of leadership at the Institute – again – if only since he had been brought for questioning to the Clave’s envoy… or maybe he hadn’t been questioned yet, the Clave wanting to see if he was going to speak of his own volition. Some kind of chess game was currently playing, and Alec knew he didn’t have all the cards in hand to play carefully – at least without endangering his _parabatai_ or, Raziel forbid, his sister. He still had people to protect in there, despite his big loss of influence since the adverted wedding…

“Time’s over, Lightwood.”

Alec hadn’t even heard the door opening, but one of the Shadowhunters – the one who had his stele – was standing in the doorframe, something akin to pity on his face. They must have presented a sad picture to be looked at like that – Shadowhunters weren’t prone to feelings such as pity, especially where prisoners – _branded as traitors_ – were concerned…

“Already?” Alec couldn’t help but ask, disappointed, and furious at himself for not having kept a better track of time.

“Yeah. They’re waiting for you at the infirmary.”

 _That_ was something Alec couldn’t fight against. The medical staff of the Institute had been keeping an eye on him in the past two months, and they had gotten rather worried at the state of almost _deliquescence_ his body had turned to over the course of a few weeks, due to the distance with his _parabatai_ and what had happened to Jace aboard the _Morning Star_.

Alec gently squeezed Jace’s shoulder, silently promising him to come back, before rising up slowly, knowing it was in best interests to be as obedient as possible, if he wanted to be able to come back and see Jace. His _parabatai_ looked downright miserable, curled on the floor like a beaten dog, and Alec couldn’t help but wonder what was going on with the Clave and their interrogation methods. He knew Jace had been tortured by Valentine, had felt it through their bond and had seen the consequences on his own body, but to think that it might have been enforced _here_ …

“Is there any way to make that buzzing sound disappear?” Alec asked to the man, while crossing the room in a few steps, hoping to get some positive answer. To his distress, he was only met with a shake of the head, his stele brought up to him without having to ask as some kind of peace offering.

The door closed behind him with a sinister noise.

 

ooOoo

 

As everyone expected, spending ten minutes with his _parabatai_ after two months of separation hadn’t done Alec much good, even though the medical team had been cautiously satisfied. Most of the consequences were physical, with the _iratze_ drawn on his body being more efficient than they had been in the past months, but that didn’t last through his next mission. Overall, he had only seemed to be calmer, if only for a few days. No one had enjoyed being the target of his (shorter than usual) temper, even though they knew he had good reasons to behave like that, but the reprieve was welcomed – for the time being, at least. The Clave’s envoy wasn’t opposed to Alec going back to the cell in due time – _if it can help your health, Alexander_ – but Shadowhunters at the Institute didn’t even bother hiding their suspicion now.

Blowing up his wedding in the way he had done had been a terrible idea, in retrospect. Oh, sure, he was glad not to be stuck in a marriage with someone he wasn’t in love with – although he was very fond of Lydia, who had become a close friend in the past two months – and he couldn’t really regret having tried to live for himself, to allow himself to fall in love with someone who wasn’t Jace… but it wasn’t working out the way he had hoped it would. Magnus was in love with him, he knew that for sure, and he, in return, cared a great deal for the Warlock, but… Well, things were complicated between them at the moment. Alec knew the risks when he had decided to screw it all, but he hadn’t expected it to mean he would now be alone on patrols, with only Izzy or Lydia teaming up with him, when they weren’t sent on different missions.

Dying on a mission while protecting the world was the greatest way a Shadowhunter could die, Alec knew it, but that didn’t mean he wanted to die _now_ , because people couldn’t accept who he was – and refused him backup. Even the Clave’s envoy hadn’t moved a finger on the matter – _not relevant to his missions_ , as he had said. Well, it wasn’t like he had expected any help from that side – already lucky to gain some tolerance in regards to his _parabatai_ bond and the effect it had on him – but still… their forces were too small in front of Valentine’s ever growing army to endanger him like that, right?

On the other hand, the Clave didn’t have a problem torturing people to get information out of them, and they still sneered at Downworlders, making sure no one would actually want to help them in the war. Most of the Downworlders had taken a careful neutral position, with only a few vampires, attached to Raphael, passing information when they had it and felt inclined to share it, and Luke’s clan fighting at their side, under the right circumstances. Even Magnus had taken his distances after a few weeks, refusing to be treated like dirt by the Clave because he was bedding a Shadowhunter. Oh, he was always there for their little band of misfits – and had struck up quite the friendship with Izzy – but his relation with the Clave had turned colder than ice.

Sometimes, Alec wondered if the Clave actually wanted for the Shadowhunters society to destroy itself from the inside, but it wasn’t the kind of questions he could ask inside the Institute, no matter how many privacy runes he could use.

“– and if he refuses to speak, we will have to take some _drastic_ measures that might be rather _unpleasant_ for your son, Maryse.”

Eavesdropping on people’s conversation was bad, Alec knew it, but he hadn’t been able to go back to Jace and Izzy was still sent away on various missions to stay away from the Institute as much as possible, and he needed to do _something_. If he had been walking in the corridor leading to the Clave’s envoy’s office, well, it was just a coincidence.

“I’m sure Alec could convince him to share information,” his mother knew when to be placating, but Alec doubted it would be enough, this time.

Just as he doubted the fact that Jace hadn’t shared information with the Clave. He knew his _parabatai_ , knew where his loyalty really lay, and withholding information was not something he would do, no matter what might have happened in those two months spent aboard the _Morning Star_.

Unless Valentine had made sure he couldn’t share information, of course, but in that case, how could the Clave not realize it? They knew what kind of runes and spells could be used to protect secrets…

“Your son could very well be manipulated, Maryse. After all, you know how _convincing_ Circle members can be, don’t you?”

Low blow, but it was well-deserved. Alec still hadn’t forgiven his parents for having concealed the truth about their actions in the war for such a long … After all, this was part of the reasons why the Institute’s control wasn’t in their hands anymore, and why he and his sister had to pay such a high price for their family name now – bearing the weight of their parent’s sins.

“Alec knows enough not be fooled by any lie Valentine’s son could tell him,” Maryse protested in a calm voice. “I assure you, he has the right arguments to persuade him to give us the intel we need –”

“Just as he has the right arguments to convince the High Warlock of Brooklyn to stay on our side for now?”

Alec flinched, all colors living his face. Surely the Clave’s envoy was not insinuating that he would… that Jace and him…

 _I could be stripped of my runes and exiled! That would destroy our parabatai bond!_ He thought, anxiety drowning over him. He silently walked closer to the door, which wasn’t fully closer, trying to get a look into the envoy’s office without being seen, every sense on high alert. His mother wasn’t looking much better than he felt, and even the envoy seemed somewhat surprised at his own words. For a man always so polite and respectful of decorum, even when dealing with Downworlders, this had been a serious blow under the belt.

“Your son has made some serious dalliances, Maryse. Throwing away the Branwell girl for a Downworlder, picking Valentine’s son as his _parabatai_ …”

“No one knew that at the time!” Maryse hissed, anger coloring her cheeks. “How _dare you_ imply that I would have willingly let my son get close to that _filth_!”

The envoy raised his hands in a placating gesture and Alec shook his head, feeling disgusted, not even realizing his fists were clenched so hard he was making himself bleed. Jace had the _purest_ soul he had ever seen – had ever _felt_ – and _he_ was in good position to _know_ that. To hear his _parabatai_ being treated like that by his mother was more than he could handle and he voluntarily made some noise, knocking on the door to announce his presence, barely waiting to be invited to get into the room.

Neither of them seemed very surprised to see him, and Alec wondered of how many conversations he had been the topic, to his utter ignorance.

“Ah, Alexander,” the envoy welcomed him warmly, his own mother barely gracing with a nod.

She was still angry at him for his relationship with Magnus, he knew that, but didn’t care. She hadn’t been able to muster the most basic decency towards the Warlock in the past weeks and he had started to think she never would – contrary to his father, who at least didn’t seem to have a problem with his personal life.

“Is there anything I could help you with?”

“I want to see Jace,” Alec said, not bothering with small talk. “It has been a week already, and he was injured when I saw him the other day. I want to see how he’s doing.”

He carefully avoided mentioning his own state, knowing the medical state shared full reports after each mission. The whole situation had been a unique opportunity to learn more about the _parabatai_ bond – and the consequences when a pair was separated for a long time.

The envoy tilted his head, examining him carefully before nodding, an affable smile growing on his face. Despite sitting at his desk, his power over the Institute – over the Lightwoods, standing in front of him – was still being felt.

“An understable feeling, of course,” the envoy offered, still smiling gently. “And indeed, no one with a stele is allowed to enter his cell – for safety reasons, as I’m sure you can understand.”

Alec could understand it damn well – the Clave had never been above torturing people to get information, and seemingly rogue Shadowhunters were no exception to the rule, he was now sure of it. His blood started to boil, but he managed to keep a calm façade.

“I understand,” he mumbled, barely keeping the anger out of his voice. “I won’t bring mine in his cell either.”

The envoy looked at him again, a slight frown on his face, but finally nodded, his face growing thoughtful.

“Well, I don’t see why you couldn’t visit him again,” he finally said in a low voice. “And if you do, you could try to get some information about Valentine’s whereabouts from him, couldn’t you?”

“Of course. Everything to help the Clave,” Alec answered in a firm voice, looking every inch the dutiful, loyal soldier he was supposed to be.

Even though they didn’t deserve his devotion, but they didn’t need to know that.

“Well then, I’ll make sure arrangements are made for you to visit him. I think an hour should be long enough for you to get him to talk.”

 

ooOoo

 

The low buzz was maddening. Jace couldn’t remember when was the last time he had actually managed to get some decent sleep since he had first set foot on the _Morning Star_ , but he knew the few nights he had spent in the Institute’s cell had been horrible. Even his father hadn’t been cruel enough as to stop him from actually _sleeping_ when his body needed it, angel blood be damned, but the Clave seemed to be worse than Valentine on that aspect.

And wasn’t it a nasty surprise?

The only silver lining in his change of captor had been Alec’s visit, some time ago, but he wasn’t even sure he hadn’t hallucinated it. He had been weak with pain and hunger and sleep deprivation at the time, and the visit had been so short he wasn’t sure it hadn’t been a dream. Being able to come back to his _parabatai_ had been his main reason to hold on, when he had been subjected to his father training once again, but he hadn’t really thought it possible – not unless he could escape. And even _that_ he had been unable to do, much to his dismay. Valentine would have been disappointed to realize his son – someone he had _trained_ – had been caught by the Clave as a vulgar Downworlder…

But now, stuck as he was in the Institute’s cell, branded as a traitor by the Clave… he wasn’t sure why he would have been allowed a moment or two with his _parabatai_. _Traitors don’t get advantages for good behavior_ , his guardians had told him during a particularly nasty _questioning session_ , some time ago. He wasn’t even sure when it had happened – his grasp of time was getting fuzzier by the day (or what he thought was the day), and he couldn’t even use his meals to figure out how long was going on between two interrogation. Food was too scarce for that.

The door started opening with a creak and Jace curled on himself, too tired for yet another interrogation session. Somehow, being back at the Institute felt like never having left the _Morning Star_ and –

“Jace?”

_Alec._

Jace felt his heart miss a beat before raising his eyes towards his parabatai, who was slowly walking in his cell, arms full of what seemed to be mundane medical supplies and some food. His stomach growled painfully and Jace had never been so grateful to see a sandwich in his life before.

“You’re here,” Jace whispered in a raspy voice, not trusting himself to speak any louder.

He had spent a lot of time screaming in the past weeks after all.

“You’re awake,” Alec offered back with a little smile, lowering himself on the ground. He carefully put his supplies next to him and then sat down in a more comfortable fashion, facing Jace, before bringing out a sandwich and a bottle of water. “I wasn’t sure…”

“Can’t really sleep here,” Jace mumbled before wolfing down on his food, trying to hide the shaking of his hands.

He knew his body wasn’t a pretty sight – it couldn’t have been any other way, deprived from food, sleep or a stele as he was – but he didn’t want to show the extent of the damage to Alec. Shadowhunters were supposed to be _strong_ after all – angel blood ran through their veins… His _parabatai_ didn’t seem to notice the shaking and let him eat in silence, looking at him fondly.

The food was gone too soon and Jace raised his eyes towards Alec, who shook his head, disappointment all over his face.

“I wasn’t allowed to bring more… and it has been difficult to negotiate for this one, even though you look like you seriously need it,” he explained in a whisper, his eyes darting to the room before coming back on him. “Jace…”

“Don’t,” Jace interrupted him, not wanting to hear the details on how the Clave thought it was better for him to go without food.

He was already familiar enough with the topic.

“Just… don’t,” he repeated in a softer voice, before gulping down half of the bottle of water at once.

Alec was still sitting in front of him, something very soft in his eyes, and Jace suddenly couldn’t bear to look at him. He felt too ashamed of himself – too ashamed of his ascendance, of not having been able to escape on his own, of being treated like a traitor by the Clave… of being too weak to endure Valentine’s training and the Clave’s treatment…

“Hey,” Alec said gently, nudging him to move closer. “Come here.”

Jace hesitated for a moment, looking at Alec’s pristine clothes and not wanting to smear them with his own dirt, before finally giving up and getting closer to his _parabatai_. The hug was as expected as it was welcome and he melted into the embrace, not sure it wasn’t a dream. It had been too long since someone had held him like that, like he _mattered_ , and the feeling brought tears to his eyes.

He was tired.

“Missed you”, Alec whispered over his head, carefully petting his hair with one hand, the other around his waist.

Jace knew he could feel the bones, and possibly even the way his heart was beating erratically. It was hard to relax, knowing that the guards were probably watching them through a rune on the wall, but Alec’s presence still made him feel better. His _parabatai_ rune was pulsating on his side, reminding him that their bond was still _there_ – weaker than it had been before, but present. And slowly mending itself with the proximity…

It was too short before Alec gradually moved back, bringing some distance between them, a frown on his face.

“I don’t have much time with you,” he said in a low voice, seemingly pissed off at something – and Jace hoped it wasn’t at him. “And I want to take a look at your wounds before leaving.”

 _I’m not sure I would have another opportunity to look at them_ hovered between them.

“Go ahead then,” Jace mumbled, before slowly taking out his jacket – ruined with all the blood that was on it and the various cuts in the fabric – and his tee-shirt, that didn’t fare much better.

He kept his eyes lowered on the ground, not wanting to see the look on Alec’s face at the extent of his injuries. His _parabatai_ had never liked it when he was bruised, even though they rarely came back from a mission without at least a few bruises and some cuts, but now… his body was a mess, and he tensed before hearing Alec take a sharp inhale of breath.

“You look like crap,” Alec hissed, a frown deepening between his eyebrows, before reaching for the medical supplies he had brought. “I can’t believe no one actually bothered to draw an _iratze_ on you…”

“They don’t care,” Jace muttered under his breath.

He flinched when Alec gently caught him by the neck, letting his head being moved without protest, but he still didn’t dare looking at his _parabatai_. They stayed like that for a moment and Jace finally raised his eyes, steeling himself before looking at Alec, who had never seemed to serious – and yet, there was still an unbearable warmth in his eyes.

“Well I _do_ ,” Alec countered, moving his hand to his cheek. “And I’m gonna take care of you while I can.”

Their foreheads met for a moment and Jace let himself be hold, not daring to be the one to break the movement. Alec’s hand had gone from his cheek to his neck – again – and he was sure it was a position he could fall asleep in, despite the low buzzing still drilling his head. They finally moved away from one another and Jace almost whined at the loss of contact.

“Come on, get closer, I have to disinfect your wounds before doing anything else,” Alec finally said after a moment, his hand gently brushing Jace’s back before grasping some of the supplies. “Clary said it might sting,” he added a beat later, before applying a transparent liquid on his skin.

It did sting, but it was nothing worth noticing. Jace wouldn’t even have realized it if he hadn’t gotten the warning, and Alec’s moves were as efficient as possible, disinfecting his wounds as quickly as possible before applying a balm on them, and then bandaging him up. It was, despite everything, a slow process, but Jace was grateful for it. Being taken care of was something he had almost forgotten since he had first set foot on the _Morning Star_ , and seeing his _parabatai_ so focused on him and on his well-being warmed his heart.

His _parabatai_ rune was gently pulsating at his side, grounding him, despite the pain running through his body.

They remained silent for the major part while Alec was tending to his wounds, but Jace finally moved closer to his _parabatai_ , hearing him take a sharp inhale of breath. They had been pretty close already, but Jace was aching for physical contact – something _gentle_ – and knowing that he was almost curled in Alec’s arms once again did help him feel better.

“Jace,” Alec whispered on his back, his breath warming the cuts left by Valentine’s whip.

His hands laid on Jace’s skin for a moment, without doing anything else, just _there_ , and Jace almost felt bad for his move.

Alec’s feelings were hovering between them and they still hadn’t talked about it – hadn’t had the time since their fight, and it wasn’t the place to do so, now. Not when his guardians were spying on their every move from the other side of the wall and probably listening to their conversation, too.

“How long do you still have?” Jace asked in a low voice, moving slightly, and Alec started patching him up again, carefully bandaging his ribs.

Some were broken, he knew that, but he was still able to breathe without too much pain. For now, at least.

“Enough to get a look at your legs,” Alec answered in the same way, brushing over his stomach, feeling him shake slightly. “I’ll try to get you some clean clothes next time,” he added, helping him putting back his shirt and jacket.

A shower would have been nice, but it was already good enough to know his wounds had been taken care of. Infection had been on the back of his mind for some time now, especially since the vampires he had come across in the forest had sneered at him, complaining about the smell. His back was a mess, and it was difficult for him to lie down, except on his stomach. He hadn’t tried sitting down with his back against the wall in a long time – had learned his lesson well since his first encounter with Valentine’s whip. And by Raziel, he hoped Izzy would never learn to use hers in that way…

“The Clave wants me to come back with information,” Alec finally dropped after a time, almost done disinfecting his left leg.

It was kind of a weird position, lying on his stomach, unable to see anything but the wall, and Jace flinched when he heard the words, trying to move to turn towards his _parabatai_ before being stopped by a hand gently holding him in place.

“I already told them everything I know!” Jace hissed, turning his head, trying to catch a sight of his _parabatai_. “I keep telling them –”

Alec’s face hovered over him, a frown clearly visible on his face.

“The Clave’s envoy said you weren’t talking,” he objected without heat, obviously not trusting what he had heard – and Jace could feel his shoulders sag a little at that. “So either he doesn’t believe you… or those who’ve been _interrogating_ you” and the words were spat out with more hatred than Jace expected “haven’t bothered telling him anything.”

Neither outcome looked good.

“It doesn’t matter,” Jace mumbled in a low voice, still looking at Alec.

“It _does_ ,” Alec protested, the frown intensifying. “Tell me what you said and I’ll pass the message to the Clave. I swear I won’t let them keep you there –”

“Don’t say that,” Jace hissed, fear suddenly surging through him. “If someone hears you…”

The guards had only been too happy to talk about his _degenerated of a parabatai_ , and had recalled missions that had been life-threatening on more than one occasion. One of them had even complained that _no one had done a damn thing about him yet_ , but had been abruptly cut short by the team’s leader this time, which hadn’t stopped Jace from feeling dreadful about the whole ordeal – dreadful, _and furious than he had ever been_. At least Alec’s fighting skills were still needed for the war, and Magnus’ presence seemed to be enough of a deterrent for some Shadowhunters – so far, anyway (and some people still seemed to have some common sense left). It was obvious to Jace that the Clave’s poor resources was the only reason his _parabatai_ hadn’t been _fatally_ injured on a mission until now…

The annoyance on Alec’s face abided a little and he moved to the side, gently squeezing Jace’s hand.

“Sorry,” he whispered in a low voice, barely above a whisper. “But I can’t stand to see you like that. It was already bad enough to feel Valentine torturing you, in the first weeks, but knowing that the Clave is doing the same when you’re with us, when you’ve already told them everything you know…”

Jace shook his head, unable to say anything, breath caught up in his throat. He had never realized Alec had _felt_ his first days aboard the _Morning Star_ , when some of his training sessions had been so _painful_ , and now knowing that he was willing to risk what little status he still had left for him… that was a lot to take in.

“It’s okay,” he promised, trying to sound more confident than he really felt. “We’ll figure out something. Just promise me you won’t do anything dangerous for me, okay? The guards have been talking…”

He felt Alec’s hands come to a halt before touching him again, seemingly even more gentle than before – if it was possible.

“Okay,” Alec whispered, squeezing his hand again. “Just hold on until then, alright? I swear I’m gonna get you of there.”

And Alec was one to hold his promises, Jace knew that. Had known for a long time. He had promised to always stand by Izzy, when she had started rebelling against their parents, and had always stood his ground on that particular aspect. And he had promised to always be there for Jace, too, a year before they had become _parabatai_. Jace had already been pondering the idea, a sweet dream to delve into only during the darkest hours of the night, but Alec and he had already been pretty close by then – close enough for Alec to make a _promise_ to him. And he had never broken it up.

Jace told him everything he knew of Valentine’s plans while Alec finished patching him up, careful of the nasty wound he had gotten from a demon a couple of weeks ago. His raspy voice was the only sound breaking the silence of the room – safe for that god-awful buzzing – and the words came out easily, given how much he had repeated them in the past days (weeks?).

Alec’s hands were gentle on his skin, and he almost didn’t have to move to put his pants back on, his _parabatai_ doing almost all the work for him. Once it was over, Jace rose up slowly, moving towards Alec so that they could be sitting face to face. Alec looked exhausted, the harsh light of the room doing nothing for the bags under his eyes or the pallor of his skin, but he was still the most beautiful sight Jace had seen in months. Even if his clothes were hanging a bit awkwardly on him, and had he lost weight too?

“I’m gonna have to leave soon,” Alec whispered, a shadow on his face. “I’ll try to come back next week, if the Clave’s envoy is satisfied with your information…”

“They can’t keep us separated forever, if they want to keep sending you on missions,” Jace pointed out, tentatively moving closer to his _parabatai_. “Honestly, you’re not looking too hot yourself –”

They were holding each other again, and Jace could feel the _parabatai_ rune pulsating gently at his side, reminding him their bond was still slowly mending itself.

Touching Alec proved his point. His skin was too hot for it to be healthy, and Jace remembered his father’s lessons – how _parabatai_ being separated meant they became less efficient faster than Shadowhunters thought. He had seen it for himself, had seen how the slowness in his moves during fights, the sharpness gone from his reflexes – and how insensible to _iratze_ his injuries were slowly becoming.

“I’m gonna be fine,” Alec whispered in a voice that was a bit too frail, _clinging_ to him, and Jace was only too glad to return the hug, hungry for warmth and closeness and physical contact. “You’re _here_ , now.”

They stayed in the same position, sitting on the cold ground, Jace trying to shield his eyes from the light, huddled against his _parabatai_ as he was, until one of the guards came back. The Shadowhunter looked accordingly somber and told them to move without any of the sneer Jace had been half expecting. Watching his _parabatai_ walk through the room hurt, but his mind seemed sharper than it had been in a long time, and he started planning his next move as soon as the door closed on Alec.

They were together at the Institute for now, and needed by the Clave until the war was over. Jace could hold onto that – onto the knowledge that his _parabatai_ was safe as long as the war was raging on.

He wouldn’t be stuck in this cell forever, and once they were back on the battlefield together…

_Valentine and the Clave could start worrying about themselves._


End file.
